Brotherhood says apology is “sufficient, Egypt summons Vatican envoy over remarks
CAIRO: Pope Benedict said on Sunday he was deeply sorry at the anger caused by his remarks on Islam and said a quote he used from a medieval text about holy wars did not reflect his personal thoughts. The Pope had been under pressure to issue a personal apology after his speech last week in Germany sparked fury in the Muslim world. The Vatican issued a statement on Saturday saying he regretted the impact of his comments. I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims, he told pilgrims at his Castelgandolfo summer residence. These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought. I hope this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with mutual respect, he said.
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt said that the Pope’s apology regarding the comments is “sufficient.
“We consider that the new statements represent a retreat from what went before. We can consider them a sufficient apology, even if we had wanted the Pope to outline his ideas and vision of Islam, Brotherhood deputy leader Mohammed Habib told Reuters.
The head of Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Church on Saturday became the first top Christian leader to join the Muslim world in denouncing comments made by Pope Benedict XVI s about Islam and jihad, as religious and political leaders warned of impending sectarian violence despite the Vatican s insistence that the Roman Catholic leader s words were misinterpreted and he didn t intend to be offensive.
Coptic Pope Shenouda III said in published remarks that he didn t hear Benedict s exact words but that any remarks which offend Islam and Muslims are against the teachings of Christ. Relations between Muslims and Christians in the Middle East already were strained, and political and religious leaders warned that the pope s comments could spark a new wave of sectarian unrest. Anti-Western protests like those that followed last year s publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad have popped up over the past two days around the Middle East, Turkey and Asia.
Violence erupted in some parts of the Middle East Saturday as Palestinians wielding guns, firebombs and lighter fluid attacked four churches in the West Bank town of Nablus, while gunmen opened fire at a fifth in Gaza.
No injuries were reported in any of the attacks, which left church doors charred and outer walls pocked by bullet holes and scorched by firebombs. Churches of various denominations were targeted.
Clergy played down the attacks as isolated incidents, but said they d worry if more Christian sites are targeted.
It is easy to worry, said Father Yousef Saada, a Roman Catholic priest in Nablus. The atmosphere is charged already, and the wise should not accept such acts.
Benedict on Tuesday in Germany cited an obscure Medieval text that characterizes some of the teachings of Islam s founder as evil and inhuman , these are comments that some experts took as a signal that the Vatican was staking a more demanding stance for its dealings with the Muslim world.
The Vatican on Saturday said the pope sincerely regrets that Muslims have been offended by some of his comments. But a statement by Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, stopped short of any apology for what the pope said.
In reiterating his respect and esteem for those who profess Islam, he hopes that they will be helped to understand the correct meaning of his words, so that, quickly surmounting this present uneasy moment … collaboration may intensify to promote social justice, moral welfare, peace and freedom for all mankind, the cardinal said.
Other Muslim leaders had said outreach efforts by papal emissaries were not enough and they also demanded the pope personally apologize. Morocco recalled its ambassador to the Holy See, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry announced Saturday, and Turkey s ruling party likened the pope to Hitler and Mussolini and accused him of reviving the mentality of the Crusades.
The grand sheikh of Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni Arab world s most powerful institution, on Saturday condemned the pope s remarks as reflecting ignorance. Mohammed Sayed Tantawi made the comment in a brief interview with the pro-government Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper, rather than issuing an official statement.
Criticism from the Arab world continued after the Vatican expressed regret over the offense caused by his comments.
Egypt, Sudan and Kuwait all sought clarification on the remarks from the Vatican envoy in their capitals. The Arab League likewise said the comments required explanation.Kuwait s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, in a speech at the nonaligned summit in Havana, urged the Vatican to show respect for Islam, Kuwait s official news agency reported.
We hope that Pope Benedict XVI will follow the steps of Pope John Paul II, who carried out a series of constructive steps to conduct an interfaith dialogue, Al Sabah said.Some 100 Muslims demonstrated against the pope at Al-Azhar in Cairo after prayers Friday, with some protesters calling Christian infidels.
Egypt s foreign ministry on Saturday summoned the head of the Vatican mission in Cairo to express extreme regret over a speech given by the pope which sparked outrage in the Muslim world. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit instructed Ambassador Wafaa Bassim to summon the Vatican envoy to express the extreme regret of Egypt s government and people over the contents of the speech given by the Pope Benedict XVI, a statement from the foreign ministry said.
The negative comments to Islam in the speech cannot be interpreted or justified and the pope must personally move quickly to contain the situation, the statement said. The speech by Pope Benedict XVI, which sparked outrage not only in the Arab region but to all Muslims of the world comes at a time when everyone is working to ensure dialogue, it continued.
Christians, mostly Coptic, make up about 10 percent of Egypt s 73 million people and generally live in peace with the Muslim majority, but violence flares occasionally, particularly in small southern communities. Many Copts have complained of discrimination.
Christianity and Christ s teachings instruct us not to hurt others, either in their convictions or their ideas, or any of their symbols – religious symbols, Shenouda was quoted as saying in the pro-government Al Ahram newspaper. Agencies
